Getting More Mileage Out Of Fiber

An analysis of 388,122 adults over a 9-year period suggests a significantly reduced risk of death for male and female subjects with the highest average intakes of dietary fiber. The study, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, showed that those who consumed the highest amount of fiber, 29 grams per day for men and 26 grams a day for women, were 22% less likely to die than study subjects who consumed the least amount of fiber, 13 grams and 11 grams respectively.

True Strength Moment: The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed. So someone sticking to a 2,000 calorie per day diet should shoot for 28 grams for fiber. Because that can add up to a lot of fruits and vegetables leaving you with fewer calories for proteins, dietary fiber supplements that incorporate both soluble and insoluble fiber sources can help you hit the mark.